Mosquito Control

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Help Swat Down Mosquitoes & Mosquito-borne Disease

Controlling mosquito populations and reducing the risk for West Nile Virus, Chikungunya Virus and Zika Virus must be done on several fronts and requires action from all citizens in order to be successful. During mosquito season, the city strongly recommends that all residents take the following preventative measures:

Use Insect Repellent: Use insect repellent every time you spend time outdoors, day or night. Look for a repellant with DEET or another EPA-registered repellant such as Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, PMD or IR3535. Read instructions prior to using insect repellants, especially when using repellants on children.

Dress to Prevent Bites: Wear long sleeves and pants to leave less of your skin exposed.

Drain Stagnant Water: Remove stagnant water from swimming pools, bird baths, flower pots, trash containers, children’s toys, clogged rain gutters and other places around your property. Place environmentally-friendly Bti briquets in stagnant water that can’t be drained. Bti can be purchased at local home and garden stores. Any amount of standing water can give mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs. Most mosquito species require 8 to 14 days to complete their development, so puddles and other areas of standing water become a cause for concern if they don’t dry up and remain stagnant for more than a week.

Maintain Yard: Properly maintain your landscaping to help reduce the mosquito population. Mosquitoes go to cooler, humid, shady areas in your yard during the daytime to rest and escape hot dry summer air. Thinning shrubs and cutting down tall grass and weeds will reduce the harborage areas and number of mosquitoes in your yard.

Remember, the only way to prevent mosquito-borne disease is to prevent mosquito bites!

Who to Call

Mosquito control is everyone's responsibility! To report water that is standing and stagnant for more than a week on public property, please contact Public Works at 817-427-6460.

If your neighbor has high grass, a stagnant swimming pool, or junk and debris on his property that may be a breeding site for mosquitoes, please contact Neighborhood Services Code Compliance staff at 817-427-6663.

Additional questions may be directed to the Neighborhood Services Department at 817-427-6650.

NRH Mosquito Control Efforts

The city monitors for West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne diseases within our community as part of the Tarrant County Mosquito Surveillance Program. During the months of April through October, mosquitoes are collected and submitted to the Tarrant County Public Health for testing.

The city proactively works to reduce the mosquito population by treating creeks, ponds, drainage channels and other public spaces with larvicide and Gambusia minnows that feed on mosquito larvae. The use of larvicide and minnows have proven to be an effective method for treating mosquito-prone areas, without causing harmful effects to people.

The Neighborhood Services Department also works with residents to identify and eliminate mosquito-breeding sites on private property.

In areas where a mosquito-borne virus is detected, the city may utilize ground level spraying to help reduce the mosquito population. The spraying is done by licensed professionals using pesticide that is EPA-approved as being safe for humans and the environment. (U.L.V. MOSQUITOMASTER™ 412 or ANVIL® 2 + 2 ULV). Residents will be notified about spraying via the city's website and emergency notification system.

While public spraying can somewhat reduce the number of mosquitoes in a given area, the results are only temporary. Health officials concur that the reduction, elimination, or treatment of mosquito breeding areas is the best technique for mosquito control.
Prevent mosquito bites day and night! Personal protection is the most effective way to prevent West Nile, Chikungunya and Zika viruses.